Improvement in processes and apparatus for molding paper-pulp



S. WHEELER.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MOLDING PAPER-PULP;

No. 190,654, Patented May 8,1877.

. taper shape,

UNITED STATES PATENT .Orrrori.

SETH WHEEEER, or ALBANY, NEW YORK IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES AND APPARATUSFOR MOLDING PAPER-PULP.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,654, dated May8,1877; application filed February 28, 1876. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH'WHEELER, of Albany, in the county of Albany andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMachines for Making Boxes and other Articles of Paper or other Pulp,which improvement isfully set forth in the following specificationreference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa vertical central section of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the head on which the box is formed, with its fixed connections. Fig.3 is a side view of the head proper. Fig. 4 is a top view of thepulpcylinder and the mold-head, the cap of the cylinder being removed.Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the said mold-head, and Fig. 6 isa perspective view of the removable perforated covering of the saidmold-head.

My invention relates to the use of gas, steam, or other flowing powerfulpressing agent within a reservoir, for producing a rapid formation ofpulp about aform or forms inclosed within such reservoir, incontradistinction to the use of gas, air, steam, or other analogousagent for creating a vacuum, and thereby effecting a deposit of thepulp, and also in contradistinction to the use of solid male and femaledies for pressing articles of pulp into diiferent forms, and, likewise,in contradistinc tion to the use of gas, air, steam, or other agents fordrying articles which have been previously formed or partly formed byordinary atmospheric pressure or dies, or by a vacuum produced in anyknown manner.

The nature of my invention consists in a machine for making boxes orother articles of paper'pulp, having a forming and pressure reservoir orchamber which is in communication with air, gas, or steam compressingapparatus, whereby the pulp forming a box or other article is at oncerapidly brought into shape about a form or forms within the reservoir bythe direct action upon the pulp of the agent employed. to produce thepressure.

It consists, second, in the combination, with the forming and pressurereservoir, of a per forated hollow mold or form of cylindrical or whichform is made of stout wire-gauze or perforated sheet metal, in onepiece, if of tapering form, or with a perforated removable sectional andexpansible cap, if of cylindrical form.

It consists, third, in the combination of the forming and pressurereservoir, the hollow moldror form and its stem, and a drip andpressure-regulating cock.

It consists, fourth, in the combination ot the pressure and formingreservoir, made with a drying-chamber above the pressing posi' tionofthe form, and the hollow perforated form or forms, made adjustablewithin the reservoir, tially drying the article above the mass of pulpwithin the pressin g-chamberimmediatel y after it is formed therein.

Theobject of my invention is to make boxes or other receptacles of anyshape, from paper or other pulp, very rapidly and accurately, and tohave this operation performed by the simplestkind of machinery.

In the drawings, A represents a cylinder or other vessel, closed by atightly-fitting cap, a, and supported by legs a or in any otherconvenient way.

At the bottom the vessel A is provided with a stuffing box, B, throughwhich a hollow,

stem or pipe, 0, is passed. The upper end of the said pipe 0 is providedwith a hollow head, D, which is perforated at d and grooved at d, thegrooves d being straight or circular, or of other suitable shape, andeffecting a surface communication with the said perforations d, and withthe interior of the head D. The said grooves 11 are connected at theirlower ends by a circular horizontal groove, E, of larger dimensions,from which connection with the interior of the head D is made by groovese.

Below the groove E-therhead D is provided with a step, F, upon which aloose collar, H, rests. y The head D has a removable perforatedcovering,'Gr, made of stifl' material, (metal pre ferred,) when thearticles being made have vertical. sides. This covering is closely andfinely perforated, so as to act on the pulp as a sieve. The top 9 ofthis covering G is a separate piece, held in position by a shank, gwhich isinserted into the mold-head D.

The covering G is split at 9 so that it may be easily removed from thehead I), or out of for the purpose of drying or parthe finished box. Theloose collar H covers the groove E, and extends some distance above it,so as to prevent the pulp from having any access to it, and also servesas. a means to slip the box 011' the form or mold. Y The lower part ofthe pipe (3 is provided with a stop-cock, c, and a fixed ring, I, havinghorizontal journals 6, with which a forked or other shaped lever, J, isconnected for the purpose of operating the mold-head D. For theadmission of compressed air the vessel A is provided with a collaredopening,-

pipe, K, compieces, according to theintricate nature and requirementsofthe difierent patterns.

In the accompanying drawings and description the simplest form of. myinvention is shown. The pulp-cylinder may be a large tank or vat, and anumber of forms or heads corr'esponding to the one shown, only varyingfrom it in shape, placed in this vat.

The top of the vat may be arranged to be opened automatically; so, also,may the cooks of the several forms be connected and opened and closedautomatically and at one operatlon, and all the forms or heads may beconnected and raised and lowered automatically.

The articles molded may also be lifted ofi' the forms togetherautomatically.

The steam, water, air, or other power may be applied to a moving pistonso arranged within the pulp-chamber that the air within the chamber iscompressed to the degree de sired, and the pulp, by means of thiscompressed air, forced against and shaped \upon the forms or heads; orwater and pulp may,

. under high pressure, he forced together into the mold-chamber, and bypressure the articles of pulp will be formed upon the molds, and whenthus formed can be lifted out of the mold-chamber and dried.

In manufacturing pulp boxes by the old process of exhaustion, or with apressure not greater than that of the'atmosphere, the pro cess is veryslow and imperfect, and if the operation is continued long enough toobtain articles of desired thickness and strength,

the surface thereof is very rough and uneven.

In nay-process the articles may beformed either on the exterior orinterior of a form or head.

Operation The operator elevates the head D, by means of the lever J, tothe proper starting position, and places the perforated coverings uponit. The vessel A is. supplied with pulp, say, to one-half or two-thirdsits capacity. He now closes the cylinder with the cover a; then admitsthrough the opening a compressed air or gas; then lowers the head D intothe'pulp, as shown in Fig. 1, and opens thefcpck c. The pulp isimmediately forced against the cap G of the head D, and the pulp nearestthereto is drained of water through.

the perforations of the said cap, and collected in the grooves d, whichgrooves it follows, partly to the perforations d, and partly to thegroove E and the perforations e, to be finally collectedin the hollowpart of the head D, and I from there to be conducted, through the pipe 0and the cock 0, out of the machine.

When the pulp has formed around the cap in proper consistency andthickness, the moldhead D is raised above the surface of the remainingpulp, and allowed to remain until it is comparatively free from water,and packed to the proper solidity by the pressure of the surroundingair.

At this stage of the operation the circula tion of strong currents ofcompressed air through the hollow form or head and its hollow tubegreatly facilitates the drying of the molded articles, as the moistureis carried ofl' rapidly through the tubeiand its cook.

The supply of compressed air is shut ofi', when the articles are dryenough to be removed, and the lid on is opened, and the cap G slippedoff the head D. Thepulp pattern or box which has formed around theoutside of the said parts is now freed from the-cap G and handed over tothe finishers, who subject it to the treatment necessary for its finalappearance; or it may be subjected to afurther drying and hardeningprocess before the cap G is removed, depending upon the shape of thearticle, finish, and character.

"Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

-1. The process herein described of making hollow articles of pulp,cbnsisting in immersing forms or molds "in p'ulpunder pressure, andrapidly removing these forms from the pulp into an air-chamber above forremoval of moisture, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the forming and

